Regardless of age, most people have largely similar gaps in their nutritional needs. It can be quite difficult to formulate your meals in a way that allows you to account for every single micronutrient your body needs, especially when you have a busy schedule and plenty of other things to worry about. Not to mention, some of the foods that contain these vital nutrients may not be at the top of your favorites list. Adding vitamins to your routine is a quick and easy way to supplement your diet and ensure that your body receives the right amount of nutrients it needs to stay healthy without having to craft elaborate meal plans or stomach your least favorite foods.

While all adults, and children too, will benefit from the addition of vitamins to their routine, seniors may be particularly in need of increased nutrients. Having a vitamin deficiency is more risky at an advanced age than when you’re younger, making it even more essential to ensure your body is receiving the recommended dosage of micronutrients each day (1). Since there are a variety of different nutrients that your body needs each day, the best liquid vitamins for elderly people are usually multivitamins. 

An excellent liquid multivitamin for seniors is the Passion 4 Life Mega Liquid Multivitamin. Free from artificial additives, caffeine, and gluten, this powerful multivitamin is packed with 135 whole food ingredients, including green tea, broccoli, acai, and even aloe vera. Along with a blend of all the essential vitamins (A, C, D, E, B6, and B12), this supplement also contains 72 trace minerals and turmeric. A common ingredient in anti-aging supplements, turmeric is a spice whose active ingredient curcumin has been shown to have potent anti-inflammatory qualities, reducing joint pain and swelling in order to alleviate common symptoms of arthritis (2). Formulated to be strong but safe, Passion 4 LIfe Mega Liquid Multivitamin is a great liquid multivitamin for adults and children too. Often, the best liquid multivitamin for adults and elderly will be one that covers the core gaps in your diet in a highly absorbable delivery format.

Liquid Vitamins And Minerals

So why take liquid vitamins and minerals as opposed to the more traditional route of pills and capsules? There are two major benefits that place a liquid multivitamin and mineral far above their pill and capsule competitors: ease and efficiency. Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, is prevalent across all age groups, keeping childrens and adults alike from being able to take pills comfortably. However, this problem often increases with age. The rate of dysphagia among adults is around 16-23%, with the percentage growing to 27% among those who are beyond 76 years of age (3). Utilizing a liquid vitamin and mineral supplement immediately eliminates this problem once and for all, as it is as simple as drinking a glass of water.

The second largest benefit to liquid vitamins is efficiency. Even among young people, there is a tendency of the body to miss out on the key nutrients in pills and capsules due to the lengthy amount of time it takes for them to be digested and then absorbed. Oftentimes, the capsule may exit the body before it has been fully broken down, taking vital nutrients along with it. This problem is particularly prevalent for seniors. As you age, processes in your body begin to slow down, including those that occur within the digestive tract (4). Seniors may experience a slower rate of digestion than younger adults, increasing the chances of missing nutrients when capsules exit the body too soon. Taking the best liquid multivitamin instead increases the rate of absorption by eliminating the need to break down the capsule in order to get at the nutrients inside.

Best Way To Take Liquid Vitamins

The best way to take liquid vitamins depends on your personal preference. There are three major methods of incorporating a liquid vitamin into your routine: traditional liquid multivitamins, multivitamin drinks, and liquid drops. Traditional liquid multivitamins contain a variety of essential vitamins and minerals and are meant to be taken daily. The liquid multivitamin dose for adults and seniors is usually about an ounce per day, but of course this varies depending on the vitamin you choose. Liquid multivitamins can be taken on their own or added into a drink to mask their taste, though they are available in plenty of delicious flavors. One example is Mary Ruth’s Liquid Morning Multivitamin, made with a blend of essential vitamins (B6, B7, B9, B12, C, D, E) and flavored with a pleasant raspberry taste.

Multivitamin drinks are available both on their own in convenient pouches to be taken on the go and in the form of a powder to be mixed into a glass of water or any other liquid. With powders, you can even mix your multivitamin into soft foods, such as oatmeal and soup. This may help to disguise the flavor more, especially for those who mainly drink water. If you’re looking for the best multivitamin drink, consider trying out allOne’s Green Phyto Base Multiple Vitamin & Mineral Powder. Made with no added flavors, this once-daily powder can be added to a glass of water or mixed into your favorite morning juice to give you not only a blend of essential vitamins, but also organic plant-based nutrients and minerals.

The final option for liquid vitamins is liquid drops. Often based around one nutrient in particular, liquid drops are helpful if you have a deficiency or feel you are not getting enough of a certain vitamin or mineral. Even if you simply want a little extra vitamin C boost heading into the flu season, liquid drops are a great choice and can be added to any drink for quick and easy absorption. We head back to Mary Ruth’s for their variety of liquid drops, available in vitamin C, D3, B12, K2, ionic zinc, omega 3, and many more.

Best Liquid Vitamins For Immune System

One of the reasons why seniors can sometimes need a bit more nutritional support is the impact of age on the immune system. Throughout the aging process, your body’s healing responses can weaken, usually caused by a slowing down of the immune system (5). The immune system is quite complex. Made up of two subsystems, the innate immune system and the adaptive immune system, your body’s immunity depends on the hard work of red and white blood cells that work together to fight against general germs as well as particular germs that have previously entered your body (6).

Despite this inherent complexity, the immune system can be boosted when supplied with a healthy amount of micronutrients. The nutrients commonly associated with promoting immune health are iron, zinc, and vitamins A, B6, C, and E, making these some of the best nutritional supplements for elderly people (7). You may choose to take a few of these nutrients in particular in the form of supplements if you feel you accommodate the rest in your diet. However, the best way to ensure you are giving your immune system as much help as possible is to take a multivitamin.

Though liquid immunity comes in many forms, one of the best liquid vitamins for immune system health is Bio Naturals Advanced Liquid Multivitamin. Formulated specifically to support immune health, this handy blend of more than 200 total nutrients contains a mix of ingredients that are known for their immunity benefits, including vitamin C, elderberry, ginger, zinc, turmeric, garlic, and even broccoli. Feel free to dismiss any worries you had about artificial additives because Bio Naturals’ formula is 100% vegetarian and organic. And, since immune health shouldn’t be limited only to seniors, you can also consider this one of the best vitamins for children’s immune system, as well as adults.

Recommended Vitamins For Seniors Mayo Clinic

One of the most recommended vitamins for seniors by Mayo Clinic is vitamin B12. B12 deficiency becomes more common throughout the aging process and can cause numbness in the limbs, difficulty walking, weakness, and even anemia (8). Since B12 is typically found in animal products, seniors who have problems with indigestion or difficulty chewing tough foods like meat may not be getting the daily recommended amount of B12 from their diets alone. In this case, adding a liquid multivitamin that contains B complex vitamins or a B12 liquid drop supplement is a great way to boost B12 levels and avoid symptoms of deficiency. 

B12 has also been shown to provide energy boosts, which seniors may find helpful while navigating the day. Mary Ruth’s Organic Methyl B12 Spray is a convenient way to take your supplement on the go with you. The recommended daily dose for vitamin B12 is just 2.4 micrograms, though it would be quite difficult to ingest too much B12 without taking an immense amount of supplements (9). Therefore, simply spritzing this delicious berry-flavored spray into your mouth once daily will give your body the healthy, required dose of this essential micronutrient and maybe even receive an organic energy boost as well. B12 has also been shown to support cognitive function, making it a great supplement for keeping both the mind and body as sharp as possible. 

Resources

1. “What to Know About Liquid Vitamins After 60.” WebMD, 2020, https://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/what-to-know-about-liquid-vitamins-after-60.
2. Gunnars, Kris. “10 Proven Health Benefits of Turmeric and Curcumin.” healthline, 10 May 2021, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-turmeric.
3. Smithard, David G. “Dysphagia: A Geriatric Giant?” Medical & Clinical Reviews, 25 January 2016, https://medical-clinical-reviews.imedpub.com/dysphagia-a-geriatric-giant.php?aid=8373.
4. Conway, Brenda. “Aging and Digestive Health.” WebMD, 8 May 2021, https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/features/digestive-health-aging.
5. “Aging changes in immunity.” Medline Plus, 2 July 2021, https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/004008.htm.
6. “How does the immune system work?” Informed Health, 23 April 2020, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279364.
7. “How to boost your immune system.” Harvard Health Publishing, 15 February 2021, https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-boost-your-immune-system.
8. Plumbo, Ginger. “Vitamin B-12 Supplements Recommended for Older Adults.” Mayo Clinic, 23 September 2013
9. “Vitamin B-12.” Mayo Clinic, 17 July 2021, https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-vitamin-b12.